Jan 16, 2009

Maybe you missed news of a nationwide contest to find a suitable replacement for Avenue Q's "George Bush" name-check (in the song "Only For Now"). As the press release put it with mock-solemnity, when Bush leaves behind his disastrous presidency next Tuesday, he will "forfeit his spot as a lyric in a hit Broadway show, as well."

Well, I'm not sure what kind of laugh that lyric has been getting lately, but I have to wonder about the four finalists for the replacement lyric, which will begin vying for laughs next week. In place of the litany that used to go...

Only for now (sex!)Only for now (your hair!)Only for now (George Bush!)Is only for now!

...audiences will be reassured starting on Tuesday with the following:

Only for now (sex!)Only for now (your hair!)Only for now (recession!)Is only for now!

Of the other lyrical finalists, I would imagine that "Prop. 8" will garner a few cheers (and some blank stares from tourists), "this show" will go by unnoticed, and the hoary "your mother-in-law" (seriously, guys?) can only hope for ironic laughter.

The producers say they hope "to gauge the response and audience reaction, and determine which lyric emerges as the most satisfying." Or the least unsatisfying, let's say. The bungler from Texas will be dearly missed as a punchline, indeed, but it's a sacrifice I'm happy our nation's entertainers will be forced to make.

2 comments:

"your mother in law" is the only one that's funny because prop 8 and the recession are actually just things that are only for now. everyone wants the recession to go away, it's not controversial. and a lot of people won't get prop 8/ there are a lot of people in favor of it anyway. obviously your mother in law was funny to the panel if they picked it. and i bet more of the audience will appreciate it.

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About Me

is Editor-in-Chief of American Theatre magazine. He has written features and criticism for The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Variety, Newsday, Village Voice, Time Out NY, The Guardian, and The San Francisco Chronicle, among others. He was the founding editor of Back Stage West.